Virtual OS/2 International Consumer Education
The next meeting of the Southern California OS/2 User Group (SCOUG) will be this
Saturday, Jan. 16, at 9:00 AM PST, at the IBM offices located in Plaza Tower, 600
Anton Blvd., Costa Mesa, on the 2nd floor.
Start the Year with StarOffice!
The big buzz around town has been StarDivision's release of StarOffice as a free
office suite for personal use. All you have to do is download the 77MB package as
SCOUG vice-president and computer guru Paul Wirtz has explained in his Download!
columns for Dec. 1998 & January. (The Download! columns are at http://www.scoug.com/os24u/1998/scoug812.2.download.html
and http://www.scoug.com/os24u/1999/scoug901.2.download.html,
respectively). (If you don't want to download the package and prefer receiving a
CD-ROM of the package directly from StarDivision, it'll cost you $39, but you'll
also get some additional filters and documentation.) Now it's time to see what the
package can do - and that's exactly what Paul will be showing us at our January
meeting.
As an added bonus, you'll get to see what's new on the web site. Our Programming
SIG leader, Rollin White, will show us the online version of the SCOUG Help Desk
where answers to your problems can be shared and resolved, without leaving home.
Don't wait for the meeting - read about it at http://www.scoug.com/help
After the presentation it's time for Q&A so you'll have an opportunity to
get your computer problems resolved. Next is the raffle. And last, but not least,
are the two Saturday SIG meetings:
General Interest Group - Paul will continue exploring StarOffice, especially
its' Internet-related functions.
Programming SIG - President Terry Warren will demonstrate the latest version
of Visual Age C++.
Afterwards: If you like to socialize, stick around for lunch. We'll go someplace
where we can continue our discussions of OS/2 and catch up on what everyone did
during the holidays.
When, where, and how to get there: SCOUG will be meeting on Saturday, January
16, at 9:00 AM (PST) at the IBM offices located in Plaza Tower, 600 Anton Bl., Costa
Mesa, CA, on the 2nd floor. From I-405, exit onto Bristol northbound (one exit NW
of the I-405/Hwy 55 interchange). Turn right on Anton Blvd (the first signal north
of I-405). Go east 2 signals and turn right (you will see a TGI Fridays' on your
right). Park in the open-air lot to your left. Plaza Tower is on a diagonal from
the open-air parking lot.
Further information (including driving directions) can be found on the SCOUG
web page at http://www.scoug.com. The driving
directions also include maps for the general meeting that you can print off as needed.
We hope to see you there!
Aiming for Simplicity
While a lot of companies (and individuals!) are interested in creating applications
with Java, few native Java programs were available until recently. And despite the
promises of cross-platform usability, Java programmers have been required to do
their development in a specific environment.
At least one vendor is promising to reduce that problem, by providing an easy
to use development tool suited for both novices and Java experts. At an upcoming
user group meeting, you'll be able to judge for yourself how well it delivers.
At the Phoenix OS/2 Society's January general meeting on Tuesday, January 12,
Carl Sayres of Data Representations Inc., will show us just how easy it is to put
together a Pure Java application, using Simplicity for Java.
About Simplicity for Java
Simplicity for Java 1.1 is written completely in Java 1.1. It runs on any Java-enabled
platform including Linux, OS/2, Solaris, AIX, HP-UX, Windows 95/98/NT, Macintosh,
and others.
Using the Simplicity for Java IDE, developers build Java applications and applets
interactively through a visual model which is instantaneously updated to reflect
any changes made to the program's source code. This dynamic modeling reduces development
time, promotes programming accuracy, and challenges the need for the traditional
three step development practice of code - compile - test.
The Simplicity for Java IDE organizes all of the components of a project, which
can include multiple applications, applets, images, sounds, as well as any data
files associated with a project. In addition, the IDE relieves the user from worrying
about pathnames on a local file system, and on a Web server.
The Composer, Simplicity's graphical interface builder, features a palette of
parts that can be added dynamically to the working application. These parts include
all of the AWT components and layouts, full support for the JFC/Swing components
from JDK 1.2, a library of pre-built JavaBeans, and any desired third party JavaBeans.
Both the novice and the experienced Java developer will appreciate Simplicity
for Java's Code Sourcerer, an integral part of the Composer. In plain English, the
Sourcerer interviews the developer and then produces Java source code for the user
in response to their choices.
Simplicity's Java Source Code Editor is a fully featured programmer's editor
that has all the capabilities that power users expect. Features include unlimited
levels of undo and redo, search, and replace using Perl5 regular expressions, color
syntax highlighting, and printing in full color.
Integrated into the editor, the Sourcerer's Apprentice introspects any Java class
on-the-fly as the developer types Java code and provides auto-completion of class
methods and fields.
A free tryout version of Simplicity for Java is available from Data Representations'
web site at http://www.datarepresentations.com.
The base price for a single license, which includes 60 days of standard email support,
is $149. Both additional standard support, and priority telephone support are available.
Do you think they can live up to all that? Why not join us at the meeting, and
find out?
When and where
The Phoenix OS/2 Society's general meeting is on Tuesday, January 12. Meetings
are held at the Mountain Preserve Reception Center, 1431 East Dunlap. A "random
access" Q&A session begins at 6:30pm, and the meeting gets underway at
7:00pm. Participants are sure to reconvene at Coyote Springs afterwards; we're friendly
folks and we like to see each other.
Visitors are quite welcome, particularly at this meeting. After all, if Java
can live up to its promises as a a cross platform tool, quality development applications
will make it possible for all of us computer users to work together.
About the Phoenix OS/2 Society
The Phoenix OS/2 Society is the world's largest computer user group devoted to
OS/2, with members in 14 countries and 46 US states and territories. The Society
publishes the award-winning print magazine, _extended attributes_, offers educational
services to its members, and never forgets that people are supposed to have fun
with their PCs as well as accomplish something useful. We tell good jokes.
More information about the user group, and a request form for a free sample issue
of _extended attributes_, can be found at http://www.possi.org.
As webmaster of the Belgian OS/2 User Group, it is my pleasure to announce the
opening of our new web site. To make the web site more useful to our members and
visitors, we have spent the last couple of weeks to give it a completely new look
and of course we have started adding more content. Work has just started, so please
stay tuned for regular updates. We welcome all suggestions from our visitors. The
site can be reached at:
http://www.os2ugbe.org
WarpUK; UK OS/2 Users Group First Official Meeting.
Following a successful planning meeting in September, a group of OS/2 users is
aiming for a formal launch of WarpUK, a user group for UK OS/2 SOHO users,hobbyists,
and developers at a meeting in January 1999. The meeting will be held on Friday
the 29th of January 1999. The location of the meeting will be at IBM's Bedfont Lakes
site.
The Meeting will start at 1:00pm and will continue into the evening.
Admission will be 6ukp in advance,8ukp at the door with 50% discounts for students.
Included in this admission price is a special WarpUK CD.
Details for all the speakers and demonstrations are not confirmed yet. However
presentations confirmed are:-
"IBM's overall strategy for OS/2 by Robert Reuben, IBM UK."
Demonstrations confirmed are:-
Aurora, Network Stations working with OS/2, and Java
by Alan Chambers & Dave Wood, IBM UK
The very latest version of Warpzilla
by (To be advised)
Networking your Warped PC. From a SOHO LAN upwards.
by Dimitris Michelinakis and Chris Lindley
A problem Clinic will be held throughout the meeting. Here people are encouraged
to bring their machines, with any OS/2 related problem. Warp 3 and Warp 4 setups
can also be updated to the most recent fixpacks.
Anybody willing to give a presentation would be most welcome. Other ideas for
workshops, demonstrations are also positively encouraged. Anyone interested should
reply directly to Sid Gale on sidg@btinternet.com
or Chris Lindley at chris@scotgate2.demon.co.uk.
For more details on this group, or for the current status on the meeting please
go to http://www.warp.in-uk.net.
Details on how to get to IBM Bedfont Lakes will be posted on this website shortly.
If you will be attending, wish to pay in advance, or require further details,
please email either Sid Gale at sidg@btinternet.com or Chris Lindley at chris@scotgate2.demon.co.uk.
Topic: Site Surfer by Devtech
(http://www.devtech.com)
Date: Wednesday, January 13, 1999
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Location: 590 Madison Avenue, New York, NY
- SW corner of 57th Street & Madison Avenue
R.S.V.P Henry Ferlauto (dccj77c@prodigy.com)
Details:
We will start the New Year with demonstration of a new program. Evan Bergman
of Devtech will show of his company's newest software marvel, "Site Surfer."
Site Surfer gives you, the client side user, the ability to search, index, and map
web sites, even when a particular web site does have such functions. Site Surfer
of course runs under OS/2, but also runs under just about anything else you can
name. Why you ask? Because it's written in 100% Pure Java.
If you would like to see a free demonstration ahead of time, so you can develop
some in depth questions, just do the following two simple steps:
Site Surfer is currently available for purchase from the following resellers:
We hope to see you there.
To everyone, we wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanza, and
a Happy, Healthy New Year to all.
Henry Ferlauto
Chairperson - Gotham NYPC User Group OS/2
SIG